There is an excellent article in the current issue of Fly Fisherman which lays out selection criteria and rates the best values in several price bands. Additional vise reviews not in the magazine can be found at www.flyshop.com.

Basic questions are: what do you tie (trout, warmwater, salmon/steelhead, saltwater), do you want/need full rotary, how much do you want to spend?

I like Regal vices for my HOME fly tying needs...
I also suggest buying a less expensive "FIELD" vice to take along with you in a modest fly tying kit.
I wished I had a fly tying kit with me when a white-fly hatch was on and all I had was black-flies. :eyecrazy:
So now I cary a vice with me when I take to the waterways for times like these.
I use clamp based vices

I've tied extensively on the Regal, the DynaKing Barracuda Jr., and the Renzetti Traveller. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. Also, each tier has their own combination of style, preferences, needs, and budget. So, what works for me may not work for you.

The Regal has it hands down in a vouple of dimensions: ease of adjustment -- there is none -- and hook holding power. However, inserting hooks, especially small ones, is dicey. If you don't get the hook far enough into the jaws, it will shoot out at high speed, and the jaws may chip. Nonetheless, the Regal is a real workhorse and is preferred by many commercial tiers. If you tie a wide variety of sizes you may need both the midge and standard heads, and the midge head is spendy -- approaching $100.

I did not like the Traveller, but I had mine prior to the introduction of the cam jaws. I found it to be fussy to adjust for different hook sizes (and I tie everything from #32 trout flies to 2/0 steelhead flies. I beleive there are better choices in the price range.

The Barracuda Jr. is a nice vise, full rotary, well made, great hook holding power. However, at $300+, it is on the expensive side.

My current vise of choice is the LAW vise made by Lawrence Waldron in the UK. The LAW can only be described as a luxury.

My vote would be for the Renzetti Traveler vise. I have the cam jaws and have not had a problem with mine so far. Have tied everything from 1/0 to 20s and the hook holding power is great. can bend the hook before getting any slippage. Also the rotary action is nice. Makes tying go a lot quicker.

Also at 150 I think it is quite the bargain. It also compacts very nicely to bring on the road with you.

I have to give the nod to the Regal. It is almost perfect(not so good with #20's and smaller. If price is not so much of a problem, the Abel vice and the Renzeti Master are very nice. Nothing comes close to these two.

As far as Renzetti goes for SW go with the SW Traveler. The Trav proper does not have the jaws for the hvy stainless wire hooks stripers and blues prefer

I have both, I like the normal one for trout/salmon/steelhead but I don't put my 4/0 SWFF hooks in it. If you put a TMC 800s in it you are pushing the limit. I might exchange for the cam jaws, they seem much easier than the thumb screw I use now.

Rotary makes a big difference, make sure you come to the tying clave so you can see all of these in action and make a decision - unless it's an xmas thing.